


An Honest Conversation

by RighteousNerd



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, Family Drama, GH-325, Philinda - Freeform, Philinda and Skye are a family, Skye is snarky, Takes place between 2.04 and 2.05, Truth Serum
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-19
Updated: 2014-10-19
Packaged: 2018-02-21 17:31:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2476466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RighteousNerd/pseuds/RighteousNerd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Skye does something impulsive. May gets back-up. Coulson has a bad night.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Honest Conversation

**Author's Note:**

> I'm having a weird day and I thought I would write something weird. No beta on this one, so all errors are mine.

It's barely even an idea, before it's an action. Really, Skye thinks, she should have better impulse control by now. Not very Agent of SHIELD of her.

It's been the type of day that makes her miss Big SHIELD and it's massive support staff. Inventory sucks, and she's spent most of the day cataloging the booty (hehe booty) they took from that Hydra cargo ship. Despite the mind numbing capacity of the work, she's been sitting there mostly stewing in her own worry, because in her mind Cargo Ship = Simmons undercover. And then there's Simmons undercover = secrets, which quickly becomes Secrets = Coulson. It's bad math all around. 

The longer she inventories cargo, the more internal stock she's taking and it leaves her feeling antsy and disgruntled.

At least she hasn't been alone. May is there, her usual reserved self, powering through box after box of Hydra tech. The specialist has been working like she's got somewhere else to be, Which means she has not at all been inclined to offer any distractions from such boring work. Well maybe it's just Skye she's not willing to distract. Another one of those pesky secrets, Skye is sure.

She's just marking down a case of QNB-T16 (12 whole doses of Grade A truth serum - not too shabby) when Coulson shows up. He's there to talk to May, of course, and they're already doing that 'staring at each other meaningfully and occasionally punctuating it all with a few words' thing they do. They're not fooling anyone, and if that was the only thing they were hiding Skye might rest easier. But it's not. There's something wrong, something big, and she's getting really sick and tired of getting the brush off.

She looks down at the QNB-T16 and then back at S.O. and the Director. The thought 'that would be a hell of a thing to do' has barely fluttered through her mind before there's a very loud 'TSSST!'

Maybe it just seems loud because of the immediate silence that follows it.

"Oh, shit." Skye whispers. Coulson is apparently too stunned to do anything but stare at her and rub his arm (yeah, that probably hurt), but May is already moving toward her and she looks pretty pissed.

"What is this?" The older woman demands, yanking the loader out of Skye's hands.

"The top shelf martini of Sodium-Pentothal derivitatives?" She offers weakly. She's so dead, at the very least court-marshaled, and she had just gotten used to the playground too.

"Office." Coulson grinds out from between clenched teeth. "Now."

The walk to the Director's office feels an awful lot like a gallows march. Skye sends May what she hopes are pleading looks the entire climb, but if her S.O. gets the message she keeps it to herself.

The door closes behind them, and it's Coulson on one side of his desk, leaving May and Skye on the other. Nobody sits. At least May is still next to her. Maybe Skye can hide behind her if it gets bad. Then again, maybe May's the one she should be hiding from. Skye did just, more or less, attack Phil Coulson. Strictly speaking, that is number one on May's "Do Not" list.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Coulson demands. He hasn't been this furious with her since, well, never. Even the whole "Miles Incident" pales in comparison. "You are in so much trouble!"

"I swear, I didn't mean too!"

"Well you could have fooled me!" His eyes flicker over to May. "Is this what you've been teaching her?"

"I think she got the idea from you actually" is May's even reply. 

"Well that's definitely true." He agrees quickly, and it's obvious that the truth serum is now in full effect. He knows it, she knows it, hell May probably knew it before either of them. He lets out a deep breath before continuing. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"I'm sorry. Like you can't believe how sorry I am. I messed up. Royally. I just..." Skye risks a glance at May, hoping to gain strength from the older woman's presence. "You're keeping secrets. From me. From all of us. You say it's nothing, that you're fine, but you're not. I want to help."

"You don't have clearance. I'm the Director, Skye. My secrets of classified. You don't have clearance to be here now."

She's being dismissed. Again.

"I think she should stay." May says, and Skye almost does a very unbecoming double take. Way to go, S.O.

"You do?" 

"Of course she does." Coulson manages to look even more annoyed, which is saying something. It's a skill of his. "She wants to bring you in, thinks you can help find answers before she has to kill me."

Next to her, May seems to have gone rigid. Skye can't be sure though, as her brain has suddenly stopped working. Without a doubt, the very last person in the entire world Melinda May would cross off is Phil Coulson. Yeah, sure, sometimes he teases her and it can be a little obnoxious but May kind of likes it. It's like flirting or something. This is crazy talk, it has to be. Except the truth serum means that it's real. Wait, what?

"Kill you?" When she says it out loud, it sounds even more unbelievable. "Why would May kill you? What's going on? Why would May kill you?!"

May gives him a very pointed look, and Coulson heaves a great sigh and looks anywhere but at her. He looks really, really tired all of a sudden and Skye feels a little bad that she might have contributed to that. 

"I maybe, sort of, kind of, am definitely going insane. Possibly dying." He says it all in a rush, like he can't wait to get to the end of it. 

"The symbols?" She asks, because she's been sort of wondering when they would come back to bite them in the ass.

"He's been carving them into the walls." May answers when he doesn't. He's staring down at his desk like it's suddenly the most fascinating thing in the world. It's a nice desk, Skye will give him that. She'd still rather see his face for this.

"The GH-325 is killing you?"

"Technically May is going to kill me."

It's absolutely the worst thing he could have said, possibly the worst thing he has ever said, and May's reaction is instant, her fist slamming down on his desk. His eyes snap up to hers and suddenly they're dialed in on each other in a way that makes Skye feel like an intruder. 

"Do you think this is a joke?" The older woman almost growls. 

"Yeah, because it's been a whole lot of giggles so far, hasn't it?" He snaps, his voice just as low and dangerous. Skye has seen them argue, everyone has seen them argue, but this is something else. This is tense, like on a whole new level. And then the tension eases, as if, solely between themselves and without words, they've come to an understanding. 

"Melinda, I'm sorry. You know I'm sorry. I don't like asking this of you, in fact, I damn well hate it."

"Well then why...?" Skye asks. She doesn't understand how some alien wall art means May has to murder her whatever-the-hell-Coulson-is.

"I'm trying to buy us time." He says, eyes still on May. "I'm a ticking time bomb, Garrett proved that. Either somebody I trust takes care of the problem when and if it becomes a problem, or I have to do myself now. I won't have the clarity to do it later."

She expects May to argue, desperately wishes May would argue, but the specialist only has one thing to say. 

"Phil."

"I still can work. Please, help me work." He asks, and this time he's talking to both of them. Skye is glad to be part of the conversation again, as morbid as it is. She still has answers that she needs. 

"So it's just been the two of you, keeping this secret, trying to hold it all together?"

"Yes." May says, as Coulson nods.

"Were you ever planning on telling me?"

"We would have." He says quickly.

That was too easy an answer for a very uneasy question, so Skye pushes harder. "When? Before you had May murder you?"

She can tell by the look on his face that she's hit him where it hurts. Good.

"There's evidence to suggest," May begins softly. "That remaining unaware of the condition might delay or even negate the effects. That's why we didn't tell you."

Well, that's unsettling. Skye hadn't even considered the GH-325 in her own blood. "You think that I might... End up with whatever too?"

"No." May says fiercely. "You've shown none of the signs or symptoms. The fact that you weren't dead when the drug was administered is most likely a factor."

May seems to believe it enough for both of them, so Skye decides to freak out about her own future insanity later.

"It doesn't matter, You should have told me." She tells them, using the high ground while she's got it. There's more to say, a lot more, but really one feeling overrides the others. She almost doesn't give it a voice, barely knows where to begin, but there's a ticking clock over their heads now and she deserves to say it at least once. "You mean a lot to me. Both of you. If you're fighting, I want to help." 

Something unnameable passes between Coulson and May, and she's instantly bracing for a quick and embarrassing brush off. It never comes. 

"I didn't tell you because I didn't know how." Coulson says finally. "I'm sorry." 

"Well, you know, don't let it happen again I guess." 

"I'll do my best." Coulson chuckles. Even May cracks a smile, which is just as weird as anything else that's happened in this weird ass conversation. 

A conversation that needs to end as he's starting to sway on his feet a bit. It was only a matter of time before the QNB-T16 knocked him on his ass.

"Nap time, AC?" 

"Yeah, I think so." He gives her an oddly sort of affectionate look, and leans in to whisper, "You're my favorite. Don't tell the others." 

"You're secrets are safe with me." She promises.

"I know," he says sincerely. "But you're still in a lot of trouble."

He turns to May, the lines around his eyes softening and a shy smile spreading on his lips. Of course he can't just lose consciousness like a good soldier. He's got to flirt a little first. "I love you, even if you're pretty mean when you're proving a point." 

May rolls her eyes, but she's still smiling over at him. "Pot. Kettle."

"Fair point." He agrees, settling down into his chair. "I'm going to shut my eyes now, but we are definitely going to talk about this later."

"I'll come check on you in a little while." May promises.

"Thank you." He says softly, eyes already closing. 

Skye follows May out into the hall, careful to latch the door softly. Probably wouldn't have woken him if she'd slammed it, but still it's the thought that counts. 

"How much trouble do you think I'm in?" She asks, falling into step with her S.O.

"Quite a bit, I would imagine." 

Yeah, that's not surprising. Drugging the Director was so far from a good idea that she can barely fathom how she came to it. Although she did get answers. More than she had bargained for, in fact. "He said he loved you in there." 

May stops walking, waiting for Skye to finish her thought. 

"Is that new?"

"Not really." May says, as if loving one another was a simple matter. Maybe it is and it's everything else that's complicated. 

Still, Skye has to ask, "and you love him?" 

"I do." 

"Do you really think you could..." Skye can't even finish the thought. Cross off, murder, kill. She can't see May doing any of that to someone she loved. 

"You and I are going to make sure it doesn't come to that." May says defiantly. 

It's exactly the right thing to say because Skye is already thinking of new plans to try, new avenues to investigate. She's on the inside now and it's personal. She grins up at her S.O. "Yes, ma'am."


End file.
